Do you teach in a vacuum?

There is nothing we do that isn't effected by a million other little things and that doesn't affect a million other little things. We don't live in a vacuum, we don't work in a vacuum, why do we try to teach in one? Technology is a big part of the world that we live in so it makes sense that we use it in our classrooms. If we want a subject or process to make the most sense to a student shouldn't we build it off of something they already know rather than trying to get them to understand something totally new? The many many things we learned in class today as well as the many many thing we have been learning in other classes are all connecting in wonderful, beautiful ways and I think that it is a great example of what needs to happen when we teach. The YouTube project we did today is a great example of this as well; we had to use technology, pop-culture, information from a subject, planning skills, teamwork, and a number of other skills in-order to complete the assignment. There were many areas of learning and growth possible through this activity, plus it was engaging and fun. Even as adults we got to spend time exploring tech that is new to us and we were able to understand it better because of the time we were give to play. If a subject isn't fun or engaging to teach shouldn't it follow that it won't be engaging or fun to learn? Do we teach in a vacuum? Should we be willing and able to expand our teaching to teach the whole child about the whole world and how everything is connected?